


Barbs at the Tail

by toomanycurls



Series: Before the Sun Sets (HP Next-Gen) [7]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Community: HPFT, F/M, Friendship, LGBTQ Character, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-06
Updated: 2016-08-08
Packaged: 2018-07-29 16:55:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7692307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toomanycurls/pseuds/toomanycurls
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Each week they meet at the Dragon Tail Pub for ale and good company - Brandon Savage and Oscar Gaffney have each other's backs through thick and thin.</p><p>
  <em>Set concurrently with Pure Intentions and True Romance with spoilers for both</em>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Boss' Son

A quick glance around the bar revealed that Brandon was already at their favorite table with two pints for the pair to start off the evening. Oscar grinned at his friend before taking a seat. Waiting for a moment, to see if Brandon would jump into whatever he needed to discuss, Oscar took a slow sip of the frosty ale then asked, “Well, what is it?”

The nonplussed look on Brandon’s face was too perfect for Oscar. The pair had been best friends since starting at Hogwarts and they could read each other with ease. “What's what? “ Brandon countered lightly.

“Don't be coy, Bran,” Oscar laughed. “You're here early, drinks at the ready… clearly you have a pressing matter to discuss.”

The frown that passed over Brandon’s face was enough of a confirmation that his assumption was either spot on or very close. “I wasn't early - you're running late,” Brandon insisted mulishly.

Glancing at his watch, Oscar raised his brow. “It is now two minutes past our meeting time, Mr. Savage. Are you going to drop your exciting news or will I have to wait?”

Brandon disliked being so transparent but knew how much Oscar relished making keen observations and coming to a usually correct supposition. He _did_ have something to discuss but there wasn't a great way to gracefully begin, though Oscar’s greeting made preamble unnecessary.

“It's about a guy I've met,” Brandon began with a reluctance he rarely showed when talking with Oscar.

“Of course it is,” Oscar said with a glowing smile. He didn't partake in relationships the same way as Brandon but he loved parsing through the complexity of romance. “What's the complication?” he asked bluntly.

“We met at work…” Brandon took a moment to chew on the next words, giving Oscar a moment to drum his fingers expectantly on the table. “He's the boss’ son.”

Oscar frowned for a moment. “I thought your boss was a bachelor in his fifties who, and I quote, ‘lives a sad, lonely existence with his cats.’”

“It's the head of the department’s son,” Brandon explained with his face turning red.

“Shut up.” Oscar stared at Brandon, stunned with disbelief. “Never mind, tell me everything. You have a crush on _Harry Potter’s_ son?” Oscar’s eyes were wide with dramatic glee.

Brandon looked around in panic, as if worried they would be overheard by the press, or worse, coworkers. “ _That_ is why I have to talk myself out of this.”

“Because you're scared of Potter?” Oscar asked, leaning towards the table and lowering his voice slightly.

“Of course not,” Brandon scoffed before a thoughtful pause. “Though, I've never seen how he is when his kids are concerned.”

Oscar looked on the verge of distraction at the opportunity to discuss whether Harry Potter was an overprotective parent but shook the thought away to focus on the real issue. “Are you worried things could go poorly at work if you ask him out? Or worse if you start dating?” Oscar paused for a moment before finding the interesting issue. “ _Or_ that it would seem disingenuous to ask him out because of his dad?”

Brandon grimaced at the thought of how it could look to date Albus and nodded. He'd spent the last two days trying to ignore the attraction because he liked to avoid uncomfortable drama and any appearance of impropriety.

“What's your level of interest in him? Good shag? Love of your life?” Oscar asked, cutting through Brandon’s thoughtful silence.  

Sighing heavily, Brandon started, “Not just a shag but I don't know about the rest. He's attractive, fun to be around, and I would like to know him better outside of the office.” For someone he had just met, Brandon had spent a disproportionate amount of time analyzing his feelings and intentions.

It took a few moments for Oscar to decide on the next important question to ask - relationships were too nuanced to lightly jump on a line of thought because it was interesting and shiny. Suddenly the key issue hit Oscar. “What's your potential for ongoing awkwardness if things don't work? Between you and… um, what is his name?”

“Albus,” Brandon supplied before continuing, “I'm not exactly sure. Potter said he's doing a job shadow through parts of the Ministry so he could end up in the Auror office.”

“But you're only definitely with him…” Oscar let the question dangle between them.

“Through the end of the week,” Brandon finished the sentence.

The look on Oscar's face told Brandon that he had a solution to the issue at hand. “It's obvious, really,” Oscar gloated. “Keep being your charming self and, if it still seems like the right thing to do, ask him for drinks on Friday. If things go well then great and if not you don't have to see him Monday. Unless it goes epically wrong, any residual weird will be gone if he eventually goes to work as an Auror.”

Brandon let the suggestion wash over him for a minute. “I think that could work,” he decided, feeling at ease with his attraction for the first time in days. “I'll let you know how it goes next week,” Brandon grinned with a rare touch of arrogance.

A chortle escaped Oscar before he could stop himself. “Careful or boss-man Potter will hunt you down,” he managed in a semi-serious tone.

An easy laugh left Brandon’s mouth and he shook his head. “I can’t see him firing me for asking out his son. He’s pretty level-headed.”

“You’re not thinking about that the right way,” Oscar insisted shaking his head. “The man defeated _Voldemort_. The most powerful Dark wizard that ever existed – he could do much worse than fire you.”

“Right,” Brandon said with a sardonic note in his voice. “I’m sure that’ll be his first action Monday morning.”

Shrugging Oscar added, “Well, if he does, I’ll tell your mother that I tried to be a voice of reason.”

Now it was Brandon’s turn for skepticism. “She’ll never buy _that_ line.” Usually if one of them was in trouble, the other had been involved if not caught in the act.  “Next week you can buy our drinks – if I’m not sleeping with the grindylows.” The two friends parted ways for a week, both excited about Brandon’s potential romantic interlude.


	2. Interesting Development

Brandon was running late, an unusual occurrence but one hard to avoid when staff meetings ran long. The Dragon Tail pub had its usual Tuesday evening crowd which included a handful of barflies, who didn’t seem to have a permanent address other than the pub, and Oscar. Despite frequenting the pub, Oscar and Brandon insisted they weren’t part of _that_ crowd as they spent more nights not at the pub than there.

“Sorry I am late,” Brandon huffed as he sat down. “I was…”

“Snogging someone after work?” Oscar teased, smirking.

“...discussing a recent homicide, actually,” Brandon corrected him with a raised brow. He couldn’t help but don a self-satisfied smile at the mention of snogging – he’d done that at lunch.

“Your words say no but that grin tells me there’s more,” Oscar nearly sang. “Come on – you know I vicariously live through your much more interesting love life.”

Brandon frowned slightly at Oscar before saying, “You could have your own _love_ life. Just with the right person.”

It was Oscar’s turn to frown. “Tough sell. No one is lining up for companionship and romance without sexy time.”

Years of friendship meant that Brandon knew all too well how difficult it was for Oscar to crave a romantic but not sexual relationship. Guilt crept over Brandon, slowly chilling him on the warm evening. “I’m sorry – that was a shit thing for me to say,” he apologized with a look of earnest contrition. “Is your dad still…” Brandon struggled for the right words politely describe Oscar’s father.

“Convinced this is a phase?” Oscar offered in a more cheery voice. “Unfortunately.”

Neither spoke for a few minutes as the sounds of the WWN and an occasional drink order filled the space where their conversation had been. Brandon wanted to _really_ apologize for his indelicacy but not keep them stuck on an uncomfortable topic. Oscar was brooding over his all but absent love life, wishing relationships could be made to order. With many past missteps behind them, the silence was not uncomfortable or long-lasting.

“He tried to set me up on another date, a cute muggle girl this time,” Oscar finally said. “This one is new to his office and seems to be just enough of a lost cause for Dad to think she’d consider me.”

This comment nettled Brandon but he couldn’t find the exact words right away to respond. After opening and closing his mouth, he finally got out, “You’re not someone people would settle for. The trouble is no one fits your criteria – that’s nothing to do with there being a problem with _you_.”

“I _know_ that but I don’t always feel that way,” Oscar said heavily. Another few moments passed silently between them. “He asked if you and I were dating, remember?”

Brandon groaned. “How can I forget?”

It was while Brandon had been over during summer break after their seventh year that Mr. Gaffney sat them down for a horribly uncomfortable line of questions.

\---

_“I’ve been wanting to talk to the two of you,” Mr. Gaffney began in a crisp tone. Brandon and Oscar exchanged worried looks. Maybe he’d noticed them doing magic in the backyard – something he’d expressly forbidden even if they were legally allowed._

_“Look, I know you said…” Oscar began but was cut off._

_“Are you two in a relationship?” Mr. Gaffney asked abruptly._

_The two friends exchanged another glance but this one had the shared glee of two young people about to take the mickey out on someone._

_“Of course we are, Mr. Gaffney,” Brandon said casually._

_Just as a crestfallen expression settled onto Mr. Gaffney’s face, Oscar added, “Yeah Dad, we’ve been friends since first year.” Oscar wasn’t surprised his father finally thought to ask about his sexual orientation but he did not intend to make the discussion pleasant._

_Face reddening, Mr. Gaffney spluttered, “I mean, are you_ more _than friends?”_

_“We’re definitely best friends,” Brandon said enthusiastically. While he generally liked Mr. Gaffney, Bran found some of the parenting practices he’d witnessed to be at best outdated and at other times flat-out harmful to Oscar._

_They could see on Mr. Gaffney’s face that he regretted broaching the subject but he was determined to keep going until he had an answer. “Are you two…_ familiar _with each other?”_

_Neither of the boys could make eye contact for fear of laughing. “I would think so after being friends for so many years,” Oscar said with barely contained amusement._

_Cutting to the heart of the matter, Mr. Gaffney asked his question in the bluntest terms he could. “Are you two having sex?”_

_“I am - all the time,” Brandon answered swiftly, relishing a look of resignation before adding, “Just not with Oscar.” The laughter was impossible to stop at that point. Oscar broke first, soon followed by Brandon, and they were both in tears after moments. Mr. Gaffney, exasperated by the two teens, walked away shaking his head._

\---

“I’m pretty sure he only asked because I had been snogging your neighbor the day before,” Brandon told Oscar. “He might have seen.”

A loud laugh escaped Oscar’s mouth at this new information. “You had enough sex for the both of us back then. Probably still are now but I don’t see the evidence traipsing through our dorm.”

Flourishing a rouge grin, Brandon added, “I’ve always been better at sex than romance.”

“Except for now, you seem to have your hands full with romance.” Oscar watched as Brandon’s face glowed at the mention of Albus. He’d known Brandon through many relationships, very few of which elicited any sort of romance from his friend.

The content smile on Brandon’s face diminished for a moment as anxiety flashed in his eyes. “What’s the matter?” Oscar asked carefully. “Things are going well, aren’t they? You had dinner with his parents last week and the week before.”

“Everything is great actually,” Brandon said with a sullen voice that were at odds with his words.

“Oh my sweet pumpkin juice. Are you falling in love, Brandon Savage?” Oscar asked in a hushed but excited voice. Brandon’s silence seemed to confirm everything. “ _You are_! This is so exciting!”

Wanting to stop Oscar off before he got too carried away, Brandon cut in, “I’m not sure if it’s love but I feel like it could go that way.”

Oscar raised his eyebrows and asked, “Why is this bad?” All the words they were exchanging sounded like good news but Brandon’s body language and tone indicated the opposite.

“I don’t want to fall for someone just to find out they were just on the mend from a previous relationship.”

“Again,” Oscar added lightly.

“Ouch,” Brandon muttered. “But, yes, I would like to avoid doing that _again_. I just can’t tell what he’s looking for,” Brandon explained, quietly voicing his nagging fear about Albus and his prior boyfriend. He’d seen them together once and it was clear that emotions ran hot between them.

“Then why don’t you… ask?” Oscar asked, feeling he was pointing out the obvious to someone who could navigate these waters easily.

Brandon shrugged. “I don’t like to coerce relationships down a path they’re not already going,” he said with some level of conviction.

“You don’t like to be vulnerable,” Oscar shot back. “You were hurt in the past and don’t want to present the same target twice.”

It was infuriating to have Oscar see the problem so plainly when it took Brandon many uncomfortable hours to have gotten the same answer on his own. “So what if I don’t? At least not yet. I’m going to just let things unfold and see where everything lands,” he explained in a dignified, if not slightly drunk, voice.

“You’re including your heart and feelings with ‘everything,’” Oscar pointed out. “That could lead to you getting hurt, same as if you asked where it’s going upfront.”

“I know,” Brandon huffed. “If it makes you feel better, I have a good feeling about where we’re going.”

Oscar smiled, if only for a moment, at this thought. He generally liked the sound of Albus but hadn’t seen Brandon so invested in a romantic partner in a very long time and worried that he would get hurt. Worse was that he knew Brandon would never back away out of fear – it wasn’t in Brandon to be anything but brave. So Oscar was prepared to pick up the pieces, eventually. Just like he always had.


	3. The Self-Inflicted Wound

Brandon’s attention was waning, despite the entertaining tale Oscar was relaying. His eyes drifted to the glass at hand and he watched the fizz rise to the top, creating tiny disturbances in the foam. Oscar had just returned from his annual hike with his father. It was the one activity they both enjoyed doing and they seemed to forget all their differences while out on the trails, hiking and camping.

“Next thing we hear is a woman calling to her group, ‘We could have packed a larger tent – they did,’ and I’m still as can be, just hoping they don’t venture off the trail to check out the clearing we were at for the night,” Oscar says, his face alight with mirth. “We were just a stone’s throw away from revealing not just a three-room tent like you can buy at any muggle outdoor store, but one with a chimney, small garden, and water fixture attached.” He grinned for a moment then caught Brandon’s apparent disinterested expression.

Oscar puffed out his cheeks before blowing air out in one long huff. “Then I came home to find that my best friend had been replaced by a ghoul…”

Eyes snapping up, Brandon sat up straighter in his chair. “I’m glad you had a good trip – and that I didn’t need to go wipe the memories of those muggles,” he said with a jauntiness that felt hollow.

It didn’t take much imagination for Oscar to figure out why his friend was so flat that evening. “Still cut up over ending things with Albus?” he asked with a knowing look.

“I’m just tired tonight,” Brandon said a bit too fast but yawned to emphasize his tiredness.

“ _You_ are a shit liar,” Oscar laughed. “It’s been two weeks and you’re still going about like a wounded Puffskein.”

Rolling his eyes, Brandon refuted his friend’s words with, “I’m not a wounded Puffskein. I was just up late last night and didn’t get enough coffee this morning.”

“Up crying your eyes out, that’s what my sickle says,” Oscar pressed.

“I was _not_ crying,” Brandon asserted. 

“Pouting?” Oscar suggested churlishly. “Bran, I’ve _never_ seen you this sullen after a breakup, especially not weeks later. What’s the deal? You broke up with him but you’re going around like he broke your little Auror heart.”

Brandon crossed his arms but stopped fighting the topic. “I had to break it off with him, you get that, right? I couldn’t let him build me into his foundation of happiness.”

Oscar let out an indelicate snort. “God you’re such a martyr, dying of a self-inflicted wound.” Brandon made to interrupt but Oscar went on, “Yes you did the right thing for Albus and for you but, for the love of sanity go wet your wand and shake this off.”

There was validity to Oscar’s advice but Brandon didn’t want to concede to his friend’s wisdom. Instead he changed the topic. “Wanderers beat the Tornadoes last weekend, did you hear?”

A look of flat surprise swept over Oscar’s face – neither of them followed quidditch. It was at best a strange topic for them to discuss or a flagrant attempt for Brandon to turn to anything else rather than further talk of his ex and moving on.

Going with the flow, Oscar said, “I did not hear that.” He made a _pop_ sound with his mouth, not sure what people usually said about quidditch.

“It’s their first win of the season,” Brandon went on, displaying an unprecedented fount of quidditch knowledge.

Brain on overdrive, Oscar found _one_ piece of quidditch trivia relevant to their conversation. “Albus’ brother plays for the Wanderers, doesn’t he?” It was almost enough for Oscar to pity Brandon, thinking that he started reading quidditch stats for even the most peripheral information on Albus’ life.

“He… I… Yeah, he does,” Brandon managed. “Guys at work were talking quidditch this morning,” he said, hoping to cover a recent spike in sports enthusiasm.

“James seems like a nice guy, from what you said.” Oscar couldn’t survive a conversation based on a sport neither of them followed but would _love_ to dig deeper into Brandon’s affections for Albus Potter.

Brandon knew better than to topic jump again but thought an Albus-adjacent subject would be more tolerable than discussing the person. “He and I get on well.”

“Well or well for someone who plays quidditch?” Oscar probed. Through school Brandon had a tendency to actively dislike or generally avoid quidditch players.

Letting out a laugh, his first real one all evening Brandon said, “Well for a human being. James is very enthusiastic about his sport of choice but he’s a kind person. He did warn me about hurting Albus.”

Oscar looked beside himself at this. “That’s a joke, right? Or was he joking?” Brandon shook his head, eliciting a laugh from Oscar.  “That’s so absurd it’s almost brilliant. His father is your boss and Harry Potter to boot and the guy thinks that big brother intimidation route will work? I gotta meet this guy.”

“It was sweet, really. Albus’ brother really cares for him – the whole family does,” Brandon said almost wistfully.

Wanting to pull Bran back from a trip down sullen alley, Oscar cut in with, “Overall, it sounds like the whole family warmed up to you.”

“They really did – expect it was weird seeing Potter, I mean Harry, outside work,” Brandon commented without realizing that he was glad to have an excuse to think about Albus.

“Did it take you long to stop saluting each time you saw him after hours?” Oscar laughed.

Fixing Oscar with an overly serious look, Brandon stated quite flatly, “Aurors don’t salute each other.” Then added with a grin forming, “We bow.”

Belting out a laugh, glad to see some of Brandon’s humor show, Oscar said, “Don’t think I could manage that myself. I’m more of a curtsey person.”

“That’s very proper of you,” Brandon teased.

“It’s nice to see your spirits a bit higher than they were,” Oscar commented as he finished the beer he’d been nursing.

“Camping stories always have that effect on me,” Brandon assured Oscar with a wink.

“I’ll tell you about day two of our trip next week then,” Oscar shot back, knowing Brandon really wasn’t one for the outdoors, much less stories about the outdoors.

A sad smile found its way onto Brandon’s face. “I’ll be less glum next week, promise.”

“If you’re not, I’m doing a cheering charm and sending you on a date with the next person Dad tries to set me up with,” Oscar promised in a slightly parental voice.

“Don’t worry, I’ll go out and try my luck in the field this week,” Brandon said more to himself than Oscar. He usually did well meeting people when he wanted to but the hard part would be getting so that he really desired to meet someone new. It wouldn’t too hard to fake, not for a few nights at least.


End file.
